I want to buy this bike. Is 150 a good deal?

I am in college and have been looking for a vintage step through bike with drop handlebars, and this seller contacted me and offered me the bike for 150 and spent 225 on it. Sadly i cannot appreciate the nice tire because i know nothing about tires nor can i tell the difference between good ones and bad ones, so based on the bike itself, its condition and age (if it's a 70's schwinn), is 150 a good deal or is it steep? In other words if i keep this bike in the same condition, would i be able to resell this bike for 150.

If it is in your size, yes, it is a fair price. Z series brakes work well. 4130 frame traingle, isn't it? Since you ask about resale, I'm guessing that you don't know what size you need. Are you between 5'4" and 5'8"? Then this bike can be made to fit you. Needs new bar tape, but potentially nothing else. Do you have any bike saavy friends to help you?

Wrk101 and oddjob are experts, so don't discount their opinions. If I were the seller in DC, I would replace tape, check the mechanical aspects, and sell it for $175 easily, if that helps. So price is in the ballpark. Go with cash and offer $135.

If you're willing to take an afternoon and do a minor cleanup and regrease yourself -- which is actually pretty fun and satisfying -- then hell, why not offer the guy $100 for it? Maybe he says $125, you pull out six twenties and you're already a little bit ahead. Once you've done the work you've got a functioning bike that fits your main wants (step through, drop bars), and you can look with pride on it as something you rehabbed.

A little cleaning, a little greasing, and probably some adjusting to do on the drive train. It's a $100 dollar bike in my eyes, maybe slightly more. Decent components and decent frame, the only upgrade that jumps out at me might be wheels. Just make sure the it shifts through the gears and you can coast (or better yet try pedaling backwards while coasting) without the chain getting slack in it.

It's got some upgrades over original. The shifters appear to be indexed units, which is a plus. It's got nice 105 SLR brakes and levers which are a definite upgrade. I've seen worse bikes priced at $150 in my area. Make an offer of $100 maybe they'll take it. $120 would be my max if everything checked out ok (stem and seatpost free, chainrings not worn, wheels in good shape, etc.)

So if I am understanding you guys correctly 150 is steep for this bike in this condition in general, but that fact that I am in new orleans kind of means I will not find anything better around this price range. I posted a "wanted" ad on craigslist and this is the only person that responded. The seller emailed me saying it was cleaned, tuned up regularly, and kept indoors and 150 is reasonable for its quality.

My price range is really 125 and lower. In houston i bought a schwinn sprint for 45 bucks with original components at a garage sale but it was too big so I gave it to my tall brother, but I am not quite sure how to look harder for a bike like this in my area. suggestions?

if you are looking for a step thru frame and drop bars you're going to have a small selection of bikes. i saw another one on your local CL that looked better cosmetically that might be easier to resell later.

While not a great bike you will find almost zero love for early 80's world sports here on the C&V forums. If in good shape and ready to ride with some upgrades it isn't awfull for your market. I would expect this bike to go for $100-125 in markets that are a lot softer. NO is tough because it is a warm weather year around riding market and alot of these lesser bikes have been lost over the years from katrina and general rust.